Is different weight a reissue?

MusicBrainz
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I think I’ve hit the nerdiest point in my collecting, although it was by accident. I have two copies of this album:

When I compared them I found the weight was different. Significantly, really: 118 and 154 grams. Everything seems the same, even the run-out numbers. But it feels that one must have been a re-issue.

So my question is two-fold. First, MB-related: does this count as a re-issue and warrant a new entry?

Second, and this is just my curiosity, is my hunch correct that the 154 grams would be the 1983 pressing and the 118 grams a later pressing? I seem to remember in the mid 1980s they switched to lighter vinyl but I have nothing to back that up.

Thanks!

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At the very least add some notes in the annotation about the weights.

It is the kind of thing that most people would never notice as they’d only have one copy and not think of weighing them. Hopefully a record manufacturing geek now passes by and explains…

I expect you will find some examples in the database where this is split as I can certainly recall adverts “now reissued on heavier vinyl”…

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Thanks. I already added a note to the annotation about this.

There will be millions of reissues that use the same artwork for cover and labels and the same run-out numbers so we’ll never be able to tell the difference. On the other hand, every band has their nerdy collectors who would like to know about the differences. If it’s a re-issue, it has a different release date, but in many cases we just don’t know it.

Hm, is a re-press a re-issue? Damn, those terms! :smiley:

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The way I read it is a re-press is when they run out of the first batch and immediately press some more. And a re-issue is when many years later they press a few more after a gap of being unavailable. The re-issues usually has some different artwork to annoy collectors into buying what they already have on the shelf at home.

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Clear, thanks. In this particular case it is hard to say and probably impossible to find out. The band does not know but the label could have done it without them knowing.

In this case the annoying part is that everything is the same except the weight! :rofl:

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